Apparatus for piling tube portions for the manufacture of bags or sacks

ABSTRACT

An apparatus piling tube portions for the manufacture of bags or sacks comprises a rotatable endless belt means, a suction beam upstream of the belt means for retaining the upstream end of the bottom tube portion of a pile. A movable stop plate is disposed transversely to the belt means to define the downstream edge of a pile. Means are associated with the stop plate to exert a generally downward pressure on a completed pile when in use the stop plate is lifted to permit the completed pile to be conveyed away by the belt means. These means are pivotably arranged in the direction in which the completed piles are conveyed away.

United States Patent Brockmuller Sept. 5, 1972 [72] Inventor: Friedrich Franz Westphalia, Germany Brockmuller,

I 1 ASS Windmoller & Holscher, Westphalia,

Germany [22] Filed: June 18, 1970 '[21] Appl. No.: 47,306

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 2, 1969 Germany ..P 19 39 486.6

[52] US. Cl ..l98/35, 271/77 [51] Int. Cl ..B65g 57/06 [58] Field of Search ..198/35; 271/35, 41, DIG. 7, 271/77, 78

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,191,787 7/1916 Hitchcock ..271/78 3,178,174 4/1965 Schneider ..271/77 UX 3,596,575 8/1971 Brockmuller ..271/86 X 2,085,248 6/ l 937 Bishop ..27 1/41 3,191,927 6/1965 Hartbauer et al.....27l/DIG. 7

Primary Examiner-Joseph Wegbreit Attorney-Fleit, Gipple & Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus piling tube portions for the manufacture of bags or sacks comprises a rotatable endless belt means, a suction beam upstream of the belt means for retaining the upstream end of the bottom tube portion of a pile. A movable stop plate is disposed transversely to the belt means to define the downstream edge of a pile. Means are associated with the stop plate to exert a generally downward pressure on a completed pile when in use the stop plate is lifted to permit the completed pile to be conveyed away by the belt means. These means are pivotably arranged in the direction in which the completed piles are conveyed away.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures SHEEI 1 OF 2 Q INVENTQR Friedrich Franz BROC 2 his ATTORN EY5 PATENTED SEP 5 I972 sum 2 OF 2 INVENTQR Friedrich Franz BROCKMULLER 1 ATTORNEY- APPARATUS FOR PILING TUBE PORTIONS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BAGS OR SACKS This invention relates to apparatus for piling tube portions for the manufacture of bags or sacks.

It has been found that it is not possible in operation of known apparatus of this kind to prevent the top tube portions of a completed pile from being retarded or retained by the friction of the following tube portions when the completed pile is being conveyed away. Socalled buckling can occur or at least the piles have to be realigned by hand.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for piling tube portions for the manufacture of bags or sacks, comprising a rotatable endless belt means, a suction beam upstream of the belt means for retaining the upstream end of the bottom tube portion of a pile, a movable stop plate positioned transversely to the belt means to define the downstream edge of a pile, and means associated with the stop plate to exert a generally downward pressure on a completed pile When in use the stop plate is lifted to permit the completed pile to be conveyed away by the belt means, said means being pivotable in the direction in which the completed piles are conveyed away.

This provides that after the stop plate has been lifted and set down again on a completed pile which is being conveyed away, said means presses onto the downstream end of the next tube portion, which is projecting below the stop plate and is to be the top tube portion of the pile, and increases its friction with the out-going pile so that it is entrained therewith.

In an embodiment of the invention, said means comprises a piston which is loaded by a spring and is slidable in a guide cylinder which points generally downward in the normal position. When a completed pile is conveyed away, the guide cylinder pivots about a pivotal axis in the direction in which the completed pile is conveyed away. The piston applies a pressure to the completed pile by sliding partially out of the guide cylinder until it abuts against a limit stop. In doing this it exerts its pressure on the top tube portion and the pile until the forward end of the tube portion has passed below at least one roller which is desirably also mounted on the stop plate and which continue to apply the force to the top tube portion. When the completed pile has been conveyed away from below the piston, the guide cylinder pivots back into a generally perpendicular position.

In accordance with a particular embodiment of the invention, this return pivotal movement may be accelerated by the guide cylinder being provided with a return spring.

Apparatus in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1. shows a purely diagrammatic side view of the whole apparatus, and

FIG. 2. shows a side view in partial section on an enlarged scale relative to FIG. 1, of the stop plate with guide cylinder and piston.

Referring to the drawings, from the take-off belt 1 of a tube-making machine which is not shown, tube portions 2 are conveyed by means of rollers 3 and 4 on to a piling belt means 5 which comprises individual, endless, continuously rotating belts 6. Arranged below the top runs of the belts 6 is a plate 8 which is vertically adjustable by means of a hydraulic mechanism 7. The plate 8 carries endless belts 10 provided on part of their surface with knobs 9. The knobs 9 of the belts 10 are arranged between the belts 6 of the piling belt means 5 and project above the top runs of the belts 6 while the pile 11' is being formed, so that tube portions 2 are not in contact with the continuously rotating belts 6. In this way the tube portions 2, of which the upstream end of the bottom tube portion 2 of each plate is held fast by a suction beam 12, are prevented from being buckled.

The tube portions 2 which pile up on top of the bottom tube portion 2 strike against transverse stop plate 13, which is provided on the downstream side with at least one pressure roller 14 for better pushing away the completed pile 11 (FIG. 2). The pressure roller 14 takes effect after the stop plate 13 is lifted by means of the hydraulic mechanism 15 from the top runs of the belts 6 and set down on the completed pile 11. Between the stop plate 13 being lifted off and set down, one or more tube portions 2 come to lie in an overlap formation on the pile l1 and move therewith. After the stop plate 13 has been set down, it can happen that one of these tube portions 2 still does not have its downstream end under the roller 14 which is intended to increase its friction with the pile l 1 so that it is drawn out below the stop plate 13. It can therefore be caught and come to lie between the pile 11 which is being moved away and the following pile, which can result in buckling of the tube portions 2 in the following conveyor device. This retarding effect is avoided in that at least one guide cylinder 17, but preferably a plurality thereof, is arranged on the stop plate 13 in a mounting 16, the guide cylinder 17 being pivotable about a pivot pin 18 and carrying a piston 19 which is biassed downwardly by a spring 20 and which projects partially out of the guide cylinder 17. A stroke-limiting stop pin 22 secured to the piston 19 slides in slots 21 in the guide cylinder 17.

If now the suction at the suction beam 12 is interrupted and the belts 10 with knobs 9 are lowered by means of the plate 8, while at the same time the stop plate 13 is raised, the belts 6 entrain the completed pile 11. As already described, the stop plate 13 is then immediately set down on the pile 11 in order to intercept the following tube portions 2.

Under the loading of the spring 20 which is compressed upon assembly, the piston 19- now presses strongly against the pile 11 so that the pressure produced causes the tube portions 2 of the pile 11 to adhere firmly to each other. The guide cylinder 17 is automatically pivoted about the pivot pin 18 by the forward movement of the pile 11. Meanwhile, the piston 19 slides further out of the guide cylinder 17 under the loading of the spring 20, while maintaining its pressure, until the stop pin 22 limits this outward movement. By a suitable selection of the pivot radius, spring force and piston travel, it can be provided that after the end of the period during which the piston 19 applies pressure to the pile 1 1, the roller 14 then takes over the function of further applying the downward pressure to the pile 11 so that completed pile 11 is maintained in good shape. The piston 19 slides on the pile 11 in its limit position illustrated by broken lines in FIG. 2, until the pile 11 has moved out from below it. A return spring 23 then returns the guide cylinder 17 with extended piston 19 back into its starting position.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for piling tube portions for the manufacture of bags comprising a rotatable endless belt means, a suction beam upstream of the belt means for retaining the upstream end of the bottom tube portion of a pile, a movable stop plate positioned transversely to the belt means to define the downstream edge of a pile, and means associated with the stop plate to exert a generally downward pressure on a completed pile when the stop plate is lowered onto the completed pile, after the stop plate has been lifted from the belt means to permit the completed pile to be conveyed away by the belt means, said means being pivotable in the direction in which the completed piles are conveyed away.

2. Apparatus for piling tube portions for the manufacture of bags comprising a rotatable endless belt means, a suction beam upstream of the belt means for retaining the upstream end of the bottom tube portion of a pile, a movable stop plate positioned transversely to the belt means to define the downstream edge of a pile, and means associated with the stop plate to exert a generally downward pressure on a completed pile when the stop plate is lowered onto the completed pile, said means being pivotable in the direction in which the completed piles are conveyed away, and comprising a guide cylinder which points generally downward in a normal position, a piston slidably mounted in said guide cylinder, said piston being biased downwardly by a spring and having means to prevent the piston from leaving the cylinder.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the guide cylinder is pivotable in the direction in which the completed piles are conveyed and is provided with a return spring.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one pressure roller is disposed on the downstream side of the stop plate, so as to roll on each completed pile as it is conveyed away.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said belt means comprise a pair of parallelbelts which in use are rotated continuously, and movable means between said belts to provide a surface elevated above the top runs of said belts on which each pile is formed prior to being conveyed away by said belts. 

1. Apparatus for piling tube portions for the manufacture of bags comprising a rotatable endless belt means, a suction beam upstream of the belt means for retaining the upstream end of the bottom tube portion of a pile, a movable stop plate positioned transversely to the belt means to define the downstream edge of a pile, and means associated with the stop plate to exert a generally downward pressure on a completed pile when the stop plate is lowered onto the completed pile, after the stop plate has been lifted from the belt means to permit the completed pile to be conveyed away by the belt means, said means being pivotable in the direction in which the completed piles are conveyed away.
 2. Apparatus for piling tube portions for the manufacture of bags comprising a rotatable endless belt means, a suction beam upstream of the belt means for retaining the upstream end of the bottom tube portion of a pile, a movable stop plate positioned transversely to the belt means to define the downstream edge of a pile, and means associated with the stop plate to exert a generally downward pressure on a completed pile when the stop plate is lowered onto the completed pile, said means being pivotable in the direction in which the completed piles are conveyed away, and comprising a guide cylinder which points generally downward in a normal position, a piston slidably mounted in said guide cylinder, said piston being biased downwardly by a spring and having means to prevent the piston from leaving the cylinder.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the guide cylinder is pivotable in the direction in which the completed piles are conveyed and is provided with a return spring.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one pressure roller is disposed on the downstream side of the stop plate, so as to roll on each completed pile as it is conveyed away.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said belt means comprise a pair of parallel belts which in use are rotated continuously, and movable means between said belts to provide a surface elevated above the top runs of said belts on which each pile is formed prior to being conveyed away by said belts. 